FSHN02-2 Genetically Modified Food1 Keith R. Schneider, Renée Goodrich Schneider, and Susanna Richardson2 as bromoxynil-tolerant cotton and glyphosate-tolerant soybean), and many others. Genetic modification can be used to assist food growers/manufacturers in many ways such as improving crop yields, reducing insecticide use, or increasing the nutritional value of foods. The first commercial food product developed from gene splicing (i.e., genetic modification in the laboratory) was the Flavr Savr™ tomato (Bruening and Lyons 2000). The Flavr Savr™ tomato had a gene added to prevent the breakdown of cell walls as the fruit ripened. The genetic modification allowed these tomatoes to remain firm even after extended shipping and storage times. First sold in Credits: iStock/Thinkstock 1994, the Flavr Savr™ tomato was only on the market until 1997, when Calgene, the company marketing it, ceased What are GM foods? production. A genetically modified (GM) food or genetically modified Hard cheeses provide another example of the use of geneti- organism (GMO) results from the use of recombinant DNA cally modified organisms in food production. Chymosin, biotechnological procedures that allow the genetic makeup the primary component of rennet, is the milk-clotting of a food or organism to be altered in some way. This enzyme used to make cheese and other dairy products. ‘recombination’ can be accomplished by moving genes from Traditionally, this substance was derived from the stomachs one organism to another or by changing genes in an organ- of calves. Most rennet used today is commercially produced ism that are already present. These changes result in the by genetically modified microorganisms (most commonly expression of attributes not found in the original organism. with GM fungi). The FDA gave chymosin (from both Examples of foods that have been genetically engineered traditional and GM sources) “generally recognized as safe” include delayed-ripening tomatoes, pest-resistant crops (GRAS) status, which makes it exempt from the usual (such as virus-resistant squash and Colorado potato premarket approval requirements (CFR [Code of Federal beetle-resistant potato), herbicide-tolerant crops (such 1. This document is FSHN02-2, one of a series of the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date January 2002. Revised November 2006 and November 2014. Reviewed March 2020. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Keith R. Schneider, professor; Renée Goodrich Schneider, professor; and Susanna Richardson, technician; Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611 The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Regulations] Title 21). Approximately 90 percent of hard viable, a company can petition for deregulation (i.e., cheeses currently being produced are using an enzyme allowing GE seeds to be sold). To date, APHIS has received obtained from a GM source. 145 petitions for deregulation; of these, only 96 petitions have been approved. These include corn (30), cotton (15), Types of GM Foods tomatoes (11), soybeans (12), rapeseed/canola (8), potatoes (5), sugarbeets (3), papaya (2), rice (2), squash (2), and A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one that has 1 each for alfalfa, plum, rose, tobacco, flax, and chicory had its genetic material altered through one of several (USDA 2014). methods. Although traditional animal breeding and genetic modification through plant hybridization techniques are technically genetic modifications, these techniques pre-date How could GM foods help recombinant techniques and typically are not considered consumers? GM. A genetically engineered (GE) organism is one where Industry has argued that we need GM foods because they its DNA is modified using techniques that permit the direct will reduce production costs by reducing the need for ad- transfer or removal of genes in that organism. Organisms ditional chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers). Theoretically, that undergo genetic engineering are sometimes referred to these cost savings could be passed on to the consumer. The as transgenic. Originally transgenic referred to an organism nutritional implications are also often cited as an obvious that had a gene from another (different) organism inserted benefit for consumers, since the bioengineering could into its genetic material; however, especially in news articles create plants that could produce more nutritious food. and on the Internet, the term transgenic frequently is used An example of one such product that is currently being to refer to any genetic modification, regardless of the evaluated is “Golden Rice” (GRHB 2014). Through genetic source and recipient of genetic material. One example of modification, this variety of rice is able to produce beta-car- a transgenic GMO is “Bt corn,” a transgenic corn variety otene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Developing containing a gene from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis countries that rely on rice as their major food source often (EPA 2002). are the same countries that suffer from high rates of vitamin GM foods are classified into one of three generations. A deficiency (VAD). The World Health Organization in First-generation crops have enhanced input traits, such 2012 reported that about 250 million preschool children as herbicide tolerance, better insect resistance, and better suffer from VAD. Providing these children with a source of tolerance to environmental stress. Second-generation crops vitamin A could prevent one-third of all under-five deaths include those with added-value output traits, such as nutri- (GRHB 2014). ent enhancement for animal feed. Third-generation crops include those that produce pharmaceuticals, improve the Are there health concerns about processing of bio-based fuels, or produce products beyond GM foods? food and fiber (Fernandez-Cornejo and Caswell 2006). Today, commercially available transgenic crops are only of One issue that is brought up from time to time is the the first-generation type. potential for GM foods to cause allergic reactions. Food allergens are specific proteins naturally found in products Since 1987, seed producers have submitted nearly 11,600 such as milk, eggs, wheat, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, applications to USDA APHIS (United States Department and shellfish—these products are responsible for 90 of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection percent of food-related allergies (FDA 2009). The fear is Service) for field-testing (Fernandez-Cornejo and Caswell that if a protein from one of these food types were to be 2006). Applications peaked in 2002 with 1,190 approvals incorporated into a food where it is not normally found, (Fernandez-Cornejo and Caswell 2006). More than 92 people who are allergic to these substances could unknow- percent of the crops that have been submitted have been ingly consume them and suffer an allergic reaction. The approved for trials. Most applications involve major approval process currently in place is designed prevent such crops, with more than 5,000 approvals for corn, the most a scenario by requiring each producer of a GM product to commonly modified crop. The next most modified crops present scientific evidence that they have not incorporated are soybeans, potatoes, and cotton. More than 6,600 of the any allergenic substance into their product. If this evidence approved applications include GE varieties with herbicide cannot be produced, the FDA requires a label to be put on tolerance or insect resistance. If a GM product is deemed the product to alert consumers. To date, there has been no to be successful after trials and thought to be commercially Genetically Modified Food 2 documented allergic reaction associated with GM food The StarLink Corn Incident (Lehrer and Bannon 2005). StarLink (Aventis Crop Science) is the trademark for a variety of corn that was genetically modified to produce What kinds of GM foods are sold in its own pesticidal protein, Cry9C. This protein, like other the US? GM insecticides, was effective in controlling certain insects and thus could eliminate the need for chemical insecticidal It has been estimated that more than 60 percent of food sprays. When questions about the potential human aller- products in retail stores already contain genetically modi- genicity of the Cry9C protein arose, investigations showed fied ingredients (Ahmed 2002). Commonly planted GM that the EPA had approved StarLink in 1998 for use only in foods include many major agricultural